Heat beat Jazz to finish road trip 3-2 after slow start

The Miami Heat beat the Utah Jazz 115-109 on Tuesday to finish a five-game West Coast trip with a 3-2 record, extending their recent improvement after an 0-4 start. Miami has won five of its past seven games, but defensive struggles and losses to winning teams remain concerns as it returns home for a five-game homestand.

Coach Erik Spoelstra said the team had responded to early-season pressure by focusing on improvement and returning more consistently to its identity. He said adversity could help if players channel the tension toward those goals. His assessment describes the team’s approach, while the results so far offer a mixed picture.

Miami’s three road-trip wins came against the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Jazz, each of which had one win when it faced the Heat. The Heat lost by 21 points to the Los Angeles Lakers on November 2 and by 20 to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. It entered Wednesday 1-5 against teams with winning records.

Defense has been a particular weakness. Miami entered Wednesday ranked 25th in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 115.9 points per 100 possessions. It allowed 120.9 per 100 possessions in its six losses, compared with 109.9...